Railway vandals 'put lives at risk'

Bosses on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway said children had attacked passing trains and nearby livestock.

In one incident an airgun pellet was fired at a carriage window, smashing it and showering passengers with glass.

The area of the five-mile line between Woodhouse and Damems is a particular hotspot.

Police said this week they were aware of the situation, and that Problem Orientated Policing (POP) teams would look at the matter.

K&WVR chairman Nick Bennett said trespass along sections of the track was a serious problem, and that the culprits were putting their own and others' safety in jeopardy.

He told us: "The railway is crossed at various points by footpaths, which we cannot block, so it is impossible to prevent pedestrians going across the track.

"But what we find is people using the railway as a short cut, or young people playing there and causing problems.

"Folk assume they will hear a train coming, but this is not always the case.

"Railways are a dangerous place for pedestrians, and we would urge people to stay clear.

"Trespass is an offence in contravention of our by-laws and offenders will face prosecution.

"Police have travelled on trains and caught offenders, and we have CCTV cameras which have picked up images of culprits, so we have had some success in tackling the problem. At the end of the day we just hope the message will get through."

His fears for people's safety are echoed by Ingrow man Roy Dowse, who has blasted stone-throwing youths for targeting horses in fields alongside the line.

Mr Dowse said that in an incident last Wednesday night, several horses - including some which were tethered - were stoned from the track by yobs. Mr Dowse, 52, from Staveley Road, said: "These horses are old and couldn't go anywhere.

Not only are the young people responsible unbelievably cruel, but they are putting their own lives at risk by being on the railway in the first place.If you say anything to them you just get abuse."